Mining-machine.



UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM Gr. HALBERT, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

MINING-MACHINE.

'1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. HALBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mining machines of that type which is designed to cut grooves in the face of a vein of coal to enable the same to be mined and to facilitate the removal thereof. A

The object of the invention isto provide a machine of this character which' will cut both a horizontal and a vertical groove and having a vertical cutter removably mounted so that the machine can be used either with or without the same; to provide an improved vertical cutter and to so construct and arrange the several parts of the machine as to render the same of greater strength and durability and to minimize the strain from the working parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved machine showing the same in position in the mine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the portion of the coal vein showing the grooves formed therein; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a forward portion of the carriage; Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken on the linea@ of Fig. 3 and showing the vertical cutter and brace partly in section; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of a slightly modied form of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form of cutter.

In Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of these drawings, I have illustrated the preferred form of my invention which is shown as embodied in a mining machine of known construction and comprising a frame 1 adapted to be rigidly secured in position near a vein of coal, as shown in Fig. 1. A longitudinally movable carriage 2 is mounted in the frame 1 and has a cutter chain 3 extending about the same and provided with a plurality of outwardly extending cutters 4. A suitable motor 5 is mounted at the rear end of the frame 1 and is adapted, by means of suitable gearing, to move the carriage 2 forwardly toward the vein of coal and to operate the cutter chain 3 to cause the same to travel about the carriage 2, which is preferably provided at intervals with suitable Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 13, 1908.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 410,658.

guides 6, upon which said chain is mounted. These guides are shown in the present instance as consisting of sprocket wheels located at suitable intervals about the carriage and having one of said guides mounted near each forward corner of the carriage, whereby the cutter chain is caused to travel in a substantially straight line across the front of said carriage. A suitable supplemental or vertical cutter 7 is mounted on the carriage and is adapted to be actuated by the cutter chain 3. This cutter may be mounted in any suitable manner and actuated from the cutter chain by any suitable mechanism, but I prefer to mount a supplemental sprocket wheel 8 in the carriage at a point intermediate the guides 6 at the forward corners of said carriage and in such a position as to be engaged by the cutter chain 3. The cutter 7 is mounted on this sprocket wheel in any suitable manner, but I prefer to so mount the same that it can be readily removed therefrom to permit the use of the machine either with or without the vertical cutter. To this end I provide the sprocket wheel 8 with a hollow hub portion 9 which is journaled in the carriage 2, preferably in bearings formed by inserting screwthreaded bushings 10 in the frame of said carriage. The cutter 7 has a shank 11 adapted to extend into said hollow hub and to be held against rotary movement relatively thereto. Preferably either the hollow hub or the groove are provided with a key-way and the other member has a key or projection adapted to engage said key-way. In the present instance, both the hub member 9 and shank 11 of the Ycutter are provided with key-ways and a key 12 engages said keyways.V This key preferably fits tightly within the key-way in the shank-11 so that it will be withdrawn when the shank is removed from the hollow hub.

The supplemental cutter may be of any suitable form, that which I prefer comprising a body portion 13 provided with a series of cutting fingers 13a projecting outwardly therefrom. This body portion is provided with a bearing surface 14 adapted to enf.

portion of the cutter and may be removed when it is desired to insert the bearing surface 14 of the cutter within the lbearing 15 of the brace. Thus, it will be seen that as the carriage moves forward and the cutters 4 on the chain 3 cut a horizontal groove in the face of the vein, the vertically extending supplemental cutter 7 will be rotated` about its vertical axis by the sprocket wheel 8, which is in engagement-with ,the traveling cutter chain 3, and, as this supplemental cutter moves forward with the carriage, Vit will thus have a rotary movement independent of the carriage and will cut a vertical channel or groove in the upper ywall of the horizontal surface of the groove, this vertical channel being, in the present instance, located near the center .of the carriage between the guides for the cutter chain.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, I have shown a slightly modified form of the invention, in which the cutter 7 is mounted in one .of the sprocket wheels 6 which form the guides for the cutter chain and is, in this instance, formed with a hollow hub similar 4,to that of the sprocket wheel 8. The cutter here shown comprises a ybody portion 13 similar yto that shown in Fig. 4, but provided with a plurality of pairs of transversely extending cutting lingers 17 secured in a ixedposition in said body portion. The lingers .of `each pair are preferably arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane andare here shown as formed integral and extending through the body portion 13, in 4which they are secured by means of suitable set screws 1S. The cutter linger 17 nearest the carriage 2 is of greater length than4 the .remaining cutter fingers and each successive cutter iinger is of less length than the precedingcutter finger. Thus, the width of the :cutter is less at its upper end than at its lower end and the groove formed thereby has its Vside walls converging toward the .top thereof and in this manner a groove having a wide base is secured by the removal of a minimum amount of coal. 1 I have also shown thiscutter as provided with a brace 16 similar to that shown in Fig. 4, but it will be understood that either form of cutter may be used either with or without the brace, Vas may be desirable, the brace being detachable, as shown.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a still further modilication of the cutter. As here shown, the same consists of a flat plate 19 having its edges tapered towards its .upper end and having its edges serrated to form cutting teeth 20. This plate Y is provided with a shank 21 adapted to enter the hollow hub of the sprocket wheel and is here shown `as having a key Q2 formed integral therewith.

The operation of the machine willbe readily understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that I have provided aY mining machine which will simultaneously cut both horizontal and vertical grooves in the vein of coal; which is of a strong and durable construction, the vertical cutter being mounted independent of the guides for Vthe ycutter chain, thus removing the strain from said guides and permitting the same to rotate freely, thus facilitating the action of the cutter chain. Further, it will be apparent that this cutter is strongly braced to maintain the same in a vertical position and is readily .removable from the carriage when it is desired to operate the machine to cut a horizontal groove only, it being necessary to only loosen the bolts which connect the brace 16 to the carriage 2 and remove the cutter from the hollow hub of the sprocket wheel; and that I have provided an improved Aform of supplemental cutter adapted to operate with my machine in the manner herein set forth.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction show-n and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mining machine, the combination, with a carriage, and a cutter chain adapted to travel-about the same, kof a sprocket wheel mounted on said carriage in engagement with said cutter chain and having a hollow hub journaled in said carriage, and a supplemental -cutter having a shank of substantially the same length as said hollow hub, slidably mounted in said hollow hub and held against rotation therein.

2. In a mining machine, the combination, with a carriage, and a cutter chain adapted to travel about the same, of a sprocket wheel mounted on said carriage in engagement with .said cutter-chain and having a hollow -hub journaled in said carriage, a supplemental cutter vhaving a shank vof substantially the same length as said hollow hub and slidably mounted therein, one of said members `having a Vkey-way, and a key carried :by the other vof said members and adapted to engage said key-way.

3. In a mining machine, the combination, with a carriage, and a cutter chain adapted to travel about the same, of a sprocket wheel mounted on said carriage in engagement with said cutter chain and having a hollow hub journaled in ysaid carriage, a supplemental cutter having a shank of substantially the same length as said hollow hub and slidably mounted therein, each of said members having a key-way, and a key adapted to engage each of said key-ways.

4. In a mining machine, the combination,

with a carriage, and a cutter chain adapted to travel about the same, of a cutter rotatably mounted on said carriage in engagement with said cutter chain and adapted to be rotated thereby, and a brace for said cutter.

5. In a mining machine, the combination, with a carriage, and a cutter chain adapted to travel about the same, of a cutter rotatably mounted on said carriage adapted to be engaged and rotated by said cutter chain, a brace having one end secured to said carriage, and a bearing in the other end thereof, said cutter having a bearing surface in engagement With the bearing of said brace. 6. In a mining machine, the combination, with a carriage, and a cutter chain adapted to travel about the same, of a supplemental cutter adapted to be actuated by said cutter chain and comprising a cutting portion of less width at its upper end than at its lower end.

7. In a mining machine, the combination, with a carriage, and a cutter chain adapted to travel about the same, of a supplemental cutter adapted to be actuated by said cutter chain and comprising a body portion provided with a plurality of pairs of transverse cutting lingers, the lingers of each pair being arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane, the nger nearest said carriage having the greatest length and each successive finger being of less length than the preceding finger.

In testimony whereof, I aiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I/VILLIAM Gr. HALBERT.

Witnesses:

GRANT HOLMES, FAY R. CURRENT. 

